The present invention relates to a reverse device for a vehicle, particularly a reverse device for a heavyweight motorcycle and employing an electric motor as its power source.
In large sized motorcycles, because of their heavyweight, it is necessary to expend much driver effort to effect reverse movement manually. When heavyweight motorcycles are power driven in the reverse direction, it is desirable that the system be such as will facilitate forward and reverse motions when the rider is not astride the motorcycle. As a prior art reverse device of this kind, there is known a device described in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-252079 (No. 252079/1985). The described device is provided with an auxiliary wheel which is connected to an electric motor mounted at a lower position on the motorcycle and which is so arranged as to be capable of taking a standing position and a withdrawn position, whereby the reverse movement is performed when the auxiliary wheel is in the standing condition. Such prior reverse device is characterized by the inconvenience that its utilization is difficult because the reverse motion can be performed only when the auxiliary wheel is physically moved into the standing condition.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a reverse device for a vehicle which incorporates, in the speed change shift device thereof, a reverse shift device whereby it is possible to perform forward and reverse shift operations by means of the same shift lever and making it possible to improve operability of the vehicle in moving from forward to reverse.
Further contemplated by the invention is a gear reduction system for such a motorcycle in which the rotational velocity of the power source can be significantly reduced, as for example, to a value of about one-hundredth of the original output value. Such gear reduction is desirable for the reverse drive of such motorcycles where a low reverse speed is preferable and where it is preferred that such low reverse speed be relatively constant, regardless of the load imposed on the vehicle.